"We're trying to look for the lost relic. Can you find the lost relic?
Ruff
"...That's right! Muy bueno!"
Chimera's curly tail waged furiously as he was praised by the little human girl on the wall. Though how she could understand him and why she chose to go it alone in a forest with only a talking piece of paper for company were questions best left to be answered for later as he continued to guide her on her dangerous adventure. Minutes of offering directions and receiving praise in return empowered the pup to no end. And once the little human had managed to find the item she was looking for, Chim felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment, though that only lasted for a brief moment before his ears perked up at a strange whisking noise, which was then accompanied by the sudden appearance of a mysterious, masked creature as it came bursting out of a nearby bush.
Thinking that the creature was intending to do the little human harm, the pup was on his paws in an instant, growling as fiercely as he could in an attempt to scare it off. Though in the end, his efforts were seemingly in vain as the "Swiper" continued to press it's attack unimpeded. Luckily it seemed that the little human was prepared for such an encounter as she too attempted to ward off the creature.
"Swiper no swiping!"
Seeing this have little effort on the creature, the little human then asked that he help her in repeating the phrase, a request he was more than willing to accept. Channeling that bit of wolf in him, Chim howled with all he could alongside the girl as she repeated the phrase and, to his utmost delight and relief, witnessed their combined efforts bear fruit as the masked beast snapped its paws and beat a hasty retreat through the woods.
with the day won and the little girl safe once again, the pup yipped with joy, pausing from his cheering to hear the little human speak again.
"Gracias for helping me, amigo! Thanks to you, I can bring the relic back to- sssshhhhh -where everyone can enjoy it!"
Blinking, Chim tilted his head in confusion as the girl disappeared, was replaced with a strange noise and a grey void, then suddenly reappearing, oblivious of what had happened not a second ago.
Looking to his right, Chim wasn't surprised when he saw Dem was still snoozing away on their master's big chair. Shaking his head, he then looked up at the special box on the ceiling, seeing nothing out of the order either. Strange.
After making sure that the little human had made it safely back to civilization and was happily reunited with the little naked human in boots, Chim lifted his paw and pressed the big black button on the remote, turning off the projector as he yawned and stretched. Following his stretch, the pup hopped off the couch and proceeded to the kitchen, hoping to get a small snack before he started his investigation.
---
"My queen!"
"My queen!"
"MY QUEEN!"
Chrysalis gasped loudly as she was jostled awake. Blinking her eyes open, she just as quickly closed them as light invaded every corner of her sockets, causing her to grunt in pain.
"My queen! Oh thank the changeling goddess you're awake."
"Ugh. Ruby? Is that you?" Chrysalis asked, sneaking a peek at the little changeling who happily nodded.
"Yes, yes it is, er- I mean I am, my queen."
It took Chrysalis a moment for her eyes to properly adjust to the morning light, but when then they did, she was now able to fully see the changeling, albeit through a slightly-noticeable haze.
"Ruby? why is everything so-"
"Dusty, my queen?"
Strange choice of words, but Chrysalis nodded all the same.
"Weellll." Ruby said, rubbing the back of her neck. "You should just see for yourself."
Blinking at her, Chrysalis was about to ask for her to explain when she happened to glance around and promptly froze.
From what felt like a second ago, Chrysalis found herself not in a dimly lit cave, but in what appeared to be an impossibly-large temple of some sort. Below her, she sat upon a strange floor, not exactly stone, but not earth either despite the brownish texture and bits of brown grass. All around her, great blocks of brown, whose size dwarfed that of even the tallest of Manehattan's skyscrapers, soared to great heights above her head until they seemed to practically fade into the dark, cloudless sky above.
Wait a minute.
Actually, while that may have seemed the case at first glance, it wasn't until Chrysalis really looked that she found, to her utmost shock, that what she had previously thought was space was actually a sloped ceiling which rose hundreds, no, thousands, no, tens of thousands of feet into the dust-ridden air. A number of long bridges and towering beams also acted as the supports for the great ceiling in the not-sky, their length and utter size just as incredible as the roof they held aloft.
"Where...are we, Ruby?" Chrysalis asked, her voice seeming quieter than it should. The bespectacled changeling hesitated.
"Honestly, my queen." She said, pausing a moment to rub away the dust from her glasses. "I don't know." She paused again before adding. "But I can safely say that, without a doubt, we aren't in Equestria anymore."
Looking at her, Chrysalis raised a brow.
"Really?"
"Yes, my queen." she said, nodding, before suddenly becoming very animated. "I mean just look around us! Such a place as this? While it's only a hunch, I believe that we were teleported to some sort of lost, ancient alien civilization. It's all so...so...oh, just look around us!"
Chrysalis did, and as she did, she could now see a number of her changelings also exploring the massive area, with some walking about, some flying about, and some just sitting about and staring at this or that or just straight up. Luckily, the lot of them were at least staying within sight, and that observation was enough to keep the queen at somewhat relative ease as she turned back to Ruby.
"It is rather impressive, Ruby."
"Isn't it, my queen?" she said, taking a deep breath in before sneezing cutely. "Though the dust is an issue." She then sneezed again...and again...and again after that.
Smiling at the changeling's sneeze fit, Chrysalis blinked before turning her this way and that in search of-
"Where's Commander Brute?"
"Sniff. Brute? He's overseeing the supply wagons near the circle." She pointed just behind herself. "Over there."
Looking over Ruby's head, Chrysalis was relieved to see the changeling commander safe and sound. And after thanking her for the directing, she got up and headed straight over to him with Ruby following closely behind.
Seeing his queen awake and on approach, Commander Brute was quick to dismiss his guards as he moved to meet the queen halfway.
"My queen! It's good to see you finally awake."
This earned a brow raise from her.
"Oh? Was I out longer than the others?"
"Well." He said, hesitant to reply before sighing and nodding. "You were, my queen." He then bowed. "And I sincerely apologize for my inability to wake you."
Knowing full well that he was being nothing but sincere, Chrysalis shook her head.
"It is quite alright, Commander." Seeing him still bowing, she quickly added. "Though I do want a report regarding the status of the drones, our supplies, and our current location."
Hearing that, Brute raised his head to see his queen patiently waiting. And not wanting to keep her waiting, he offered what he could.
"Y-Yes my queen. "Ahem. While you were still asleep, I was able to perform a headcount with roles included as well. And as of this moment, we currently have about twenty six soldiers, though I'd say that about roughly half of them are still capable of fighting. We also have five medical drones, five infiltrators, and sixteen regulars.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Brute?" Ruby suddenly asked, tapping an impatient hoof. "Or rather, some-lings?"
This earned a raised brow from the queen as she glanced at Brute, who after tilting his head at the little changeling, suddenly realized his mistake and was quick to correct himself.
"Oh! Oh right. And we also have Ruby's six scribes as well."
"Thank you."
"Right." Chrysalis said, glancing at her proud little ling before she turned back to Brute. "So we have fifty-eight changelings in all?" He nodded. "And what of our supplies?"
"We have five filled wagons my queen, including the two carrying our love reserves. All of which have been left over there." He said, pointing to the line of wagons parked near the base of one of those massive blocks.
Seeing the wagons intact and under guard, Chrysalis nodded. Though before she was about to praise Brute for his diligence, a thought suddenly occurred to her.
"Hmm. Commander Brute, if i'm not mistaken." She said, squinting at him suspiciously. "Didn't we have more changelings and wagons with us before we teleported?"
"Oh! Well um. You see- the thing is about that-" Brute stuttered, before instantly giving up at the sight of his waiting queen. "Oh who am I kidding. The truth is, my queen...we did. About seven or so regulars were reported missing along with one of our wagons as well."
Yikes. Mommy bug ain't happy to hear that.
"I see." She said, narrowing her eyes at the slightly sweating commander. "And why, Commander Brute, did you neglect to inform me of this?"
"Honestly, my queen?" She silently nodded. "I didn't want the first thing you heard after waking up to be bad news."
Daww. I mean the queen was upset with him, don't get me wrong. But still...daww.
Now, despite her disappointment in her commander for his act of withholding information from her, especially when it involved her changelings, Chrysalis couldn't help but feel her old heart do the tiniest of skips as he shivered before her like some mistreated colt.
Maybe she could forgive him this one time.
...
No. No, a punishment needed to be administered lest the others mistake her hesitation for weakness. Yes. It was only fair after all.
With personal reasoning solid and out of the way, Chrysalis first looked down at Brute, who's head was still bowed as he nervously awaited his sentence, then at Ruby who was also nervously glancing between her and Brute, then finally at all the changelings who had gathered around the trio in a loose circle, their looks ranging from genuine curiosity to blatant pity. For their fellow changeling no doubt.
Nevertheless, the punishment would still proceed unopposed as Chrysalis approached Brute, passed him, and just kept walking.
...
Huh?
"M-My queen?" Brute hesitantly asked, raising his head to watch her pass the other changelings before continuing on.
Quickly glancing at Ruby, who of which also had no clue where their queen was going, Brute hastily galloped off towards her and didn't stop until he came to a panting halt in front of her.
"M-My queen." Brute said, hoof pointed at her as he tried to steady his breath. "Where are you going?"
"Why, to wherever the missing changelings are of course." She said, as if it was nothing. Like hell it was.
"What?" Brute asked confusedly as Ruby and the other changelings finally caught up to them.
Chrysalis simply sighed in return before slowly replied.
"I said that I'm going to go find my lost children."
...
...
"Oh."